OCR

8 DIAMOND DICK, JR.
ance of her face, and he caught her by
the arm as she staggered slightly.
“Say, little girl,” he asked, “is it as
bad as this ?”
She looked up into his honest eyes.
“Yes, itis,” she said frankly. “I have
had nothing to eat to-day. I (lon‘t know
what to do. ”
“Well, I know what to
case. Here is money, all
present needs, and as soon as I recover
that nugget and right the wrong---”
“No, no, I cannot take money from
you, sir. You are a stranger to me, and
I’d rather die than that. I will go on till
night, and if by that time I have found
nothing, the bay will end it all--”
“Well, I guess not! Accept it as a
loan from me, to be paid back as soon as
you come into your little fortune. I mean
it as honorably as if you were my sister.
Here, take it, go and hire yourself a
room in some respectable quarter, and
then send me word where you areehere’s
that
you want for
do, in
my card.”
“How can I ever thank you enough,”
she said, with tears in her eyes as she
now took the money and car(l. “I
do just what you say, for I believe you
and trust you. I believe that Heaven has
sent you to me in answer to my prayers.
I was in despair when I stopped to look
in at that window, but there I found the
Turtle nugget-and-and--”
“And there I found you," said Bertie.
“I’ve got'a friend who’s a parson, and
I’ve often heard him say that all things
work together for good to them that lean
on Providence. For the present so-long,
and don't forget to send your address.”
will
CHAPTER III.
BI<ZR’I‘IF. PLAYING DELICATE CARDS.
Diamond Dick, Jr., lifted his hat at
parting, and with a word of thanks and
assurance the girl hastened away.
Chris Ross and Bryce Byers had
been
RIGHTS A WRONG.
walking a little behind Bertie and the
young lady, and now Bertie turned back
and rejoined them.
“What hev ye done with ther leetle
gal?” Kris-Kross inquired.
“She will be all right for the present,”
Bertie answered. I want
all the points you chaps can give me. "
“And that will be mighty little, I‘m
afraid,” said By-By-to give them their
handy appellations. “The gal told ye
everything that was to be told, Ireckon."
“As far as she knew it, yes. But you
recognized the Turtle nugget at sight,
there in that shop window, and as you
are from that same Squaw creek country
perhaps you can tell me something
more.”
“Come, now,
“Not a durn thing more, I opine,”
said Kris-Kross. “Ye see, the news of
the lindin’ of a nugget like that, and the
tragic incidents that follered, was bound
to spread through all the mining camps
on the crick, and everybody was sorter
lookin’ out fur the Turtle nugget.”
“And so was we,” finished By-By.
“And the minnit we seen it in that
winder, we knowed it. That’s the long
and the short and the whole of it, pard
IVade; but et ain’t the end of et, if we
kin do anything to help git et back fur
that poor gal. I be darn ef I wouldn’t do
desprut things fer her, after the tears I
seen in her eyes.”
“’I‘hat’s right,” approved Kris-Kross.
“Well, if that’s all you know, of course
it‘s all,” said Bertie. “I want you to
keep your eyes and ears open, though, if
you are going into this thing with me.”
And this they both
heartily to do.
Bertie held some further talk with
them, told them where he was stopping
while in the city, and made an appoint-
ment with them for that evening.
They were to meet at the Thistle Club.
Diamond Dicl<, ]r., strolled back the
promised most